Russian Air Force Pursues and Repels British Spy Plane with MiG-31BM Fighter

Russia's MiG-31 Chases Off UK's RC-135 Surveillance Jet In Barents Sea

Moscow - A British Royal Air Force spy plane violated Russian airspace in the Barents Sea near Murmansk. The news was revealed by the Ministry of Defense (Kemhan) of Russia, Monday (15/8/2022).

One MiG-31 interceptor was sent to pursue and repel an RC-135 reconnaissance jet from the vicinity of Cape Svyatoy Nos, near the main base of the Russian Navy's Northern Fleet. "The MiG-31BM interceptor tasked with border air patrol identified the reconnaissance aircraft and forced it to cease its violation of Russian airspace," the Russian military statement said.

The Russian military identified the scene of the incident as Svyatoy Nos, a headland on the Kola Peninsula, east of Murmansk in western Russia. While the Russian Defense Ministry did not provide further details about the incident on Monday evening local time, Flight Radar showed a Royal Air Force RC-135 flying off the coast of Murmansk earlier.

The RAF spy plane designated RRR7255 made several rounds before heading for the entrance to the White Sea, violating Russian airspace in the process. The aircraft was seen currently flying back to the RAF base in Waddington, Lincolnshire, the RAF Intelligence Surveillance Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) command center.

Monday's incident was the first attack by NATO aircraft on Russian territory since the conflict in Ukraine escalated in February. Earlier that month, Moscow said a US submarine was spotted and driven out of Russian waters near the Kuril Islands in the northern Pacific. The Pentagon denies all accusations.

This is Britain's second breach of Russian territory since June 2021, when the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Defender sailed off the coast of Crimea. The most recent known incident in the Barents Sea was in July 2021, when three nuclear-capable US B-52 bombers approached Russian airspace, but were repelled before they could trespass.

According to Russian officials, the number of NATO reconnaissance flights near the country's borders will grow by more than 30% by 2021.